#GDC Game of the Year

[zentendo]

Tears of the Kingdom Soars Again, Nominated for 2024 GDC Game of the Year!

Hold onto your Hylian Shields, folks! The critically-acclaimed The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has just snagged yet another prestigious nomination – Game of the Year at the upcoming 2024 Game Developer Choice Awards (GDC)! This comes hot on the heels of its impressive win for Best Action/Adventure Game at The Game Awards and Nintendo Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards,…

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#2024 Game Developer Choice Awards #Baldur&039;s Gate 3 #Best Action/Adventure Game #Best Audio #Best Design #Best Narrative #Best Technology #Best Visual Art #Cocoon #Dave the Diver #Dredge #GDC Game of the Year #Hyrule #Innovative Award #Marvel&039;s Spider-Man 2 #Nintendo Game of the Year #The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

[myfriendpokey]

Anthology Of The Killer got the Nuovo Award at this year's IGF! I'm very pleased and tickled. I wasn't able to attend but here is the little prerecorded acceptance speech I made. Thank you again to everyone supporting the games and especially to those at GDC this year who were kind enough to cheer it on haha

#igf 2024 #anthology of the killer #oscar #oscar's pick #golem globe

[aegisofworms]

Idk if you're a Rainworld fan, but your handle is almost perfectly a name of an Iterator, which are super computer biomechanical megastructures. This, plus your art, which lives rent-free in my head, makes my head picture some absolutely nightmarish beasts for RW inspired by your work.

If I could draw, I'd be sending you shit en mass.

I am in fact a massive rainworld fan, though my handle came from long before I played it (the coincidence is pretty cool though, Iterators give me incredible gender envy)! The overall worldbuilding of rainworld is a massive inspiration to me these days and I'm genuinely obsessed with the concept of the iterators and the ancients. As a funfact, before I even played rainworld I actually referenced its GDC talk on procedural animation for a game development project in school a few years back! This ask also reminded me that I have a... frankly absurd amount of unfinished fanart wips for it that I need to finish one day (some of which are for posters because I wanted to make one to hang up in my dorm haha).

Also bonus! I do have an old iterator oc concept from around when I first started playing, and oh boy would I love to update it with some biomechanical horrors.

#asks #rainworld #i've also got another ask in queue but im taking a bit to answer it because I want to draw something for it (lancer balor related) #i will get on that anon! jkgdjkfg

[toskarin]

You got any recommendations of the former (in relation to the GDC post)?

my favourite (which I recommend a lot) is probably Failing to Fail: The Spiderweb Software Way

it's about one of the longest surviving commercial independent game studios, Spiderweb Software, which has survived for (as of next year) 30 years while consistently releasing rpgs the entire time. I enjoyed their games a lot in the past, so maybe I'm biased in how interesting I find their story

it's pretty cynical, but less in the way that lootboxes are and more in the way your older coworker warning you about buying new kitchenware might be. it's about art as work. I think it's an important listen, even if only because of how it makes clear what "profitable artistry" actually looks like for people who can't pay others' salaries

[shuttershocky]

Since E3 is now officially dead, what's your opinion on gaming conventions and their function/place in the industry, etc?

I'm curious about your opinion as someone who works in the game industry and also just a consumer.

Well I'm just a low level employee so I've never gone to big trade shows or conventions / conferences like E3, PAX, or GDC like my bosses or my friends have, my sole experience is with local conventions.

I've never gone to a convention as a visitor either. I've always been an exhibitor in those and man do they get exhausting—it's 3 full days straight of total sensory overload from booming music to gigantic crowds that you can't step away from since you've got to man your booth. That said, these public events are the only ones that will continue on into the future, aside from events like GDC that are more about the trade of game development rather than as marketing for games.

As time passes, I see less and less reasons for closed event trade shows, to be honest. E3's been dead way before this official announcement. As soon as Nintendo pivoted to making their Direct presentations, that was the beginning of the end for E3, since it meant big publishers can stream everything online now while having complete control over the whole show. With E3 being a closed event which essentially relied on game journalists to be their marketing for the public, it was bound to fall behind once social media made following news ever easier.

On the other hand I think conventions still have their place, especially when you show up with a demo. While lining up a bunch of people to go try out your game won't get you nearly as many views as marketing it online, there's just something special to the live interaction (both as part of the audience and as a developer) that builds hype like nothing else does.

Also, the short time between you're allowed in to set up your booth but the visitors aren't allowed in yet is when all the cool perks of being an exhibitor happens. (And the afterparties of course, but those aren't meant to be shared)

One really fond memory I have is back in 2018, Capcom was bringing Devil May Cry 5's demo around the circuit convention, including one I was in. Since I was an exhibitor we were there hours before the audience would be allowed in, which meant that as soon as Capcom finished setting up, DMC5 would be right there without a line.

I put up our posters and laptops as fast as I could and ran on over, only to find two other guys there with one of them already playing the demo. As the first guy finished, clearly an old fan from how quickly they got the hang of Nero, he turned around with this light on his face and said "It's... It's really good!"

And when a series has been gone for ten years with a controversial Western reboot in the middle, it feels so reassuring to see someone who has just as much riding on this as you do tell you it's good while handing you the controller. There's a real spark of magic in that kind of interaction that no Direct can replicate.

I also got to take a selfie with Igarashi of Castlevania fame, hat and all. Fuck yeah.

[heartmachinez]

Embracing Accessibility and Diversity: The Vital Role of Remote Presentations in Game Conventions

In recent years, the gaming industry has witnessed an unprecedented surge in popularity and innovation. This phenomenon is often celebrated at large international conventions like Gamescom / devcom, where developers, enthusiasts, and creators from around the world gather to showcase their latest creations, share insights, and explore new horizons.

However, as the gaming community continues to expand, so does the need to ensure that these conventions remain accessible and inclusive for everyone. Enter the concept of live remote presentations – a powerful tool that preserves diversity, fosters representation, and empowers those who might otherwise be excluded.

During the pandemic, many conventions like GDC, Gamescom, Gen Con, etc. decided to go remote rather than cancel their events outright. Now that COVID-19 is under control, these same conventions have decided to return to an IRL format for the obvious benefits of fostering greater networking opportunity, spontaneous collaborations, personal branding, cultural exchange...among other advantages.

We were very fortunate this year that even though Gamescom / devcom was one of thsoe conventions that returned to an in-person format this year, they were able to accomodate our Founder / Creative Director Alx Preston's remote talk From Pixels to Polygons – Bringing the Hyper Light Universe into the Third Dimension. They decided to make an exception to the in-person only format this year due to Alx's specific health considerations.

But maybe a hybrid format should be the norm, and not the exception?

The Power of Representation and Diversity

One of the most valuable assets of the gaming industry is its diverse and passionate community. Gamers, creators, and developers hail from various backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives, enriching the industry with fresh ideas and innovative concepts. Embracing this diversity fosters creativity and leads to games that resonate with a broader range of players. But for this diversity to flourish, the voices and viewpoints of all members of the community need to be heard.

Accessibility as a Cornerstone of Inclusion

International conventions like Gamescom attract attendees from around the world, turning them into melting pots of ideas and creativity. However, the barrier of physical attendance can inadvertently lead to exclusion. Not everyone has the financial means, the physical health, or the time to journey halfway around the globe to participate in such events. This exclusion can inadvertently stifle unique perspectives and novel insights that could otherwise contribute to the growth of the industry.

The Crucial Role of Remote Presentations

Live remote presentations offer a solution that bridges the gap between physical presence and accessibility. By allowing speakers to present their ideas, projects, and perspectives remotely, conventions can ensure that individuals who might not be able to attend in person can still contribute meaningfully. Here are a few compelling reasons why this approach is essential:

Global Representation: Remote presentations empower voices from different continents, cultures, and backgrounds to participate and share their experiences, especially including folks from foreign countries who might encounter time or money difficulties getting visas to travel. This widens the scope of perspectives and ensures a more holistic representation of the gaming community.

Inclusivity: Everyone should have an equal opportunity to engage with the industry they love. Remote presentations provide a level playing field for those with limited physical abilities, financial constraints, or geographical limitations.

Time and Resource Efficiency: For busy professionals, remote presentations eliminate the need for extensive travel and time away from work or other commitments. This encourages a more diverse pool of experts to contribute without sacrificing their personal and professional obligations.

Reduced Environmental Impact: International travel carries a significant carbon footprint. Embracing remote presentations aligns with sustainability efforts and demonstrates a commitment to reducing the environmental impact of such events.

Technological Advancements: With the rise of high-quality video conferencing tools, remote presentations can be seamless and engaging. This eliminates potential technical barriers and ensures that remote speakers can effectively communicate their ideas.

Looking Ahead: A More Inclusive Gaming Community

In conclusion, the gaming industry's continued growth hinges on the cultivation of diverse ideas and perspectives. International conventions like Gamescom play a pivotal role in this process by providing a platform for individuals to share their insights. However, it's crucial to acknowledge the limitations that physical attendance imposes on accessibility and representation. By embracing live remote presentations, and offering a hybrid format, these conventions can pave the way for a more inclusive and vibrant gaming community.

In a world where technology connects us across continents, it's only fitting that the gaming industry utilizes these tools to break down barriers and amplify voices. By making remote presentations a staple of game conventions, we celebrate the richness of our community while ensuring that everyone has a seat at the table, regardless of their location, resources, or physical abilities.

Thank you so much to Nico Balletta and the devcom / Gamescom team for giving us the chance to share our projects with the world. Here's to an amazing Gamescom 2023!

#hyper light breaker #gamedev #hyper light drifter #public speaking #devcom #gamescom #gamescom 2023 #accessibility #livestream

[ditto-not-on-discord]

in less than 60 days, It will have been a year since blaseball was suddenly canceled.

TRUST ME, THE OTHER TAGS WILL MAKE SENSE IN A LITTLE WHILE.

Blaseball, in its 2.867 Years of existence, was many things. but the easiest way to describe it is "Good". It had a very incredible fanbase that still kind of mourns the game to this day. the devs had a panel at GDC in 2022. It was nominated for a Nebula Award for Best Game Writing in 2021 and also the "Best Video Game" at The Hugo Awards in 2021. It won the Nuovo Award at the independent games festival in 2021. people could observe the games happening, gamble fake money, and also affect how the story and the characters would develop at certain points. It was a great game, that sadly was canceled because the cost that was needed to run the game was too high for the team at the game band to support, at least according to wikipedia. It being dead is also a major part in proving that there is no justice in the universe because of it not being here, yet SILENT HILL ASCENSION SOMEHOW HASN'T KICKED THE BUCKET YET.

Now for all Silent Hill fans who have blocked that game out of their memory, and for everyone who has no idea what Silent Hill Ascension IS, here is a refresher:

"Released" on October 31st, 2023 (which was already a bad day for me, but I am NOT getting into that), Silent Hill Ascension is an interactive thing (listen its not a tv show, and it isnt a video game. the developers say that its "the best of both", but lets be honest its more of the WORST of both) that is canon to the silent hill franchise.

people can observe the games happening, gamble fake money, and also affect how the story and the characters would develop at certain points. Yes, I know this sounds EXACTLY the same as what I described blaseball as, but thats because I purposefully oversimplified both games a bit. Silent Hill Ascencion has bland writing (so bland people even thought it was AI), all the mechanical depth of a bad mobile game, and all the horrible microtransactions (loot boxes, a season pass, and something else I will get into later) as well. Blaseball, as previously mentioned, was nominated for several story writing awards, had enough mechanical depth that some fans created a SCIENTIFIC COLLECTIVE TO ANALYZE IT, and at the time it died, NEVER had any micro transactions or a fee to enter.

Remember how both games use fake money? In Blaseball, those who were in the 1% of money havers had all their coins distributed to the other players. In Silent Hill Ascension, you can literally just buy so many "Influence Points" that you can manipulate the entire fucking story, and you can hoard them for as long as you fucking want. Also, Something else I want to mention: Literally nobody talks about Silent Hill Ascension because its so bad. hell, and those that do talk about it DON'T have anything good to say. very few people play it, and there are a shit ton of bots that the devs added so it feels like more people are actually watching. Silent Hill Ascension has reached lower lows than blaseball ever did, and is less than half a year old. So why the hell is it still alive, when a game that did its entire stick better is fucking dead. THE ONLY REASON I CAN THINK OF FOR IT BEING ALIVE IS BECAUSE ITS SUPPORTED BY FUCKING KONAMI.

There is no justice in the world.

#blaseball #silent hill #thoughts #confusion #video games

[bryce-bucher]

Midwest Lost Post #5

Stepfather:

For the past month I've been pretty busy, so I've mainly just been focusing on working on Midwest Lost whenever I have a chance. In this time I finally got the character model for the stepfather mostly complete and in the game. In this fight he is "unwinding" after work so he's ditched his pants and put on a bathrobe, but he was too dejected to change out of his work shirt. He's an abusive guy with a messy life, and he often takes his anger out on whoever he thinks he can have power over. Unlucky for the protagonist, this often means he's the target of his rage. Luckily for the protagonist, he has a big ass sword.

The Face:

For a while now I've been pretty concerned on how I am going to handle face textures in this game. I need the characters to be expressive for the various cinematics and for certain emotional beats to hit properly, but creating proper detailed faces is a bit of a wild west territory for me. Because of this, I decided to try an experiment. Recently I've been trying to learn how to paint properly using a VR painting tool called Vermillion, It's proven to be a really powerful and relaxing way to paint, so I was wondering if it would be feasible for me to paint character textures in it. At my current skill level I honestly thought it wouldn't work out at all, but surprisingly it did!

As you can see here, I spent a good 4-5 hours painting this face texture in VR. It looked pretty horrible until like the last 40 minutes of the process or so. I guess that's how its supposed to go, but it really surprised me that it came together at all.

After I got that base texture completed, I exported it and touched it up a bit to better fit the model. I then added a pair of eyes and eyebrows on top of the texture in Affinity Photo. They are a lot more cartoony / simplistic than the base texture so that I can change them out and create new expressions easily. I was honestly unsure if that would clash too hard with the painted face, but I think it looks pretty good. This was a really fun process, and It's got me excited for the amount of opportunities it has afforded me. Character creation is my favorite, but until now I really never thought I'd be able to paint the more detailed organic aspects of certain characters / animals. Oh yeah I also painted his knees in the same way lol, but I think going into detail about that would be redundant.

Heavy Attacks:

The last major thing I did recently was finally implement some heavy attacks. Rather than have separate inputs for light and heavy attacks, the attack button causes a light or heavy attack to occur based on whether or not you are currently holding the stance/strafe button. The heavy attacks I decided on are meant to be able to close in a considerable gap between you and the enemy, so that you can get in there more easily after slowly strafing around. Alternatively, you can just use heavy attacks whenever as long as you just press the strafe and attack buttons at the same time, so really they are for whenever you feel as though you can afford the wind up and cooldown of the animations. But yeah, as you can see in the gif above, the heavy attacks currently take the form of a two swing combo where you can lunge forward with the sword pointing outwards and then follow it up by swinging it back over your head and slamming it down. I think they are pretty satisfying to use as of now, but I might consider extending the combo in the future.

Conclusion:

That is all 4 today. I really want to get more work done on all of these games. I'm really tired of being stuck in the same debug scene in all of them. Hopefully this year I can dedicate more time to all this, and maybe I can make a second scene for one of them lol. Next time I post one of these it will probably be midwest lost again, but if not I'll be working on J(a)SON next. A big part of me being busy this month is that I'm actually attending GDC alongside Quinn K. If any of u mutuals out there want to meetup at GDC lmk.

#screenshotsaturday #midwest lost #midwest #lost #american midwest #midwest emo #mall goth #soulslike #dark souls #soulsborne #y2k #y2k aesthetic #indiegames #indie games #indiegamedev #indiedev #lowpoly #psx #gamedev #game development #vermillion #vermillion vr #painting #oil painting #digital painting

[obscuritory]

GDC 2024: What's New in Game History!

Hey, my GDC panel is up, and it's free! Watch me, historian Laine Nooney, Stanford curator Henry Lowood, tech policy lawyer Kendra Albert, and Chloe Appleby from the Powerhouse Museum talk about what's been happening in the field of game history.

We cover a lot of ground in an hour. This is a great way to get up to speed on what's been happening with game history/preservation, the challenges we're facing, and where we see things going in the next year. And yes, we talk about Yuzu.

(If my line "Today's piracy tools are tomorrow's preservation tools" ends up getting quoted, I won't be mad.)

#game preservation #video game preservation #game history #video game history #GDC #GDC 2024 #Yuzu #gaming

[submalevolentgrace]

gaming hype youtubers have absolutely conspiracy theory levels of unwavering belief that we are weeks, if not days, away from the announcement if not release of the "switch 2", a thing for which no actual evidence has ever existed beyond "yeah, it'd make sense for nintento to release a new console eventually, right?"

and they have held this belief of "imminent announcement within weeks" for YEARS. they used to call it the switch pro and are convinced they know the specs even. there are always constant "reliable rumours" that it's RIGHT ABOUT TO HAPPEN RIGHT NOW, for at least 3 years.

and when i say it's conspiracy level thinking, what i mean is, their basis is literally nothing, or sometimes contradictory evidence.

the switch is 5 years old, switch pro at next direct. gameboy games on NSO will launch with switch pro. oh, well, n64 games will be on switch pro. they're working on new mario kart tracks, must be for mario kart 9 on switch pro. no new games towards the end of 2022 announced? switch is winding down, switch 2 soon. a whole bunch of new games announced for 2023? they're getting the last games out, switch 2 soon. mario wonder will definitely be a switch 2 launch title. new nvidia chipset in the works? must be switch 2. indie devs at GDC saying they're developing with future consoles in mind? switch 2 confirmed but somehow still steeltight secret. investor meeting upcoming, they're going to announce switch 2. investor meeting where they literally say "we are only focusing on existing hardware this financial year" HOLY SHIT SWITCH 2 CONFIRMED!!!

last week they somehow CONVINCED themselves that there was going to be a surprise nintendo direct announcing the switch 2. it didn't happen, so in the great history of conspiracy theories, they realised their beliefs had been totally unfounded and they admitted error and they had been wro--- NO!! "SWITCH 2 DELAYED" THUMBNAILS

it's insane

#and i am 100% hoping the switch doesnt get replaced because its the only console i can play without worry

[redworld96]

“The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin” GDC Premiere 

(24-03-2023)

Source: https://www.inven.co.kr/webzine/news/?news=283079 

Netmarble introduced the new open world RPG “The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin” through the Epic Games exhibition booth at GDC, which was held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco from the 20th to the 24th. “The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin” is a work being developed by Netmarble F&C based on the IP of the same name and its follow-up “The Four Knights of the Apocalypse”. A year after it was first shown at NTP in 2022, a demonstration version was released to the public for the first time at GDC.

While its predecessor, The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross, was a collectible RPG that retraced the story of the original series, The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin is different from the beginning. Set after its predecessor "The Seven Deadly Sins", it begins in the world of "The Four Knights of the Apocalypse", but instead of focusing on Percival, the story revolves around Tristan Liones, the son of Meliodas and Elizabeth; and Tioreh, the daughter of King and Diane.

The game opens with Tristan and Tioreh investigating the lakeshore where Escanor fought Estarossa, a member of the Ten Commandments, in the previous series. The lake where Escanor's Cruel Sun struck is still completely dry, but there are sections where grass and trees are growing, and Tristan and Tioreh are intrigued enough to investigate an underground chamber hidden in the tree roots.

#nnt #nanatsu no taizai #the seven deadly sins #tioreh #tristan liones #7ds origin #nnt origin #king harlequin #diane #meliodas #elizabeth liones #kiane #melizabeth #videogame #article #netmarble

[cardboard-aliens]

KEN RECEIPTS POST

Collection of articles and interviews regarding Ken Levine. I originally had these on a different post, but it was an addition on someone else's post and I felt bad giving them a notification every time I updated it LOL

(Click the source post for updated links, because gamers will not stop interviewing Ken so I always have more to add.)

Interviews and News Articles:

A look inside BioShock Infinite’s troubled development: talks about constant cuts, shifts, and reboots, how due to poor management there was no playable version of BioShock Infinite a year out from launch, how the team had to pull a year of crunch to finish the game with some people pulling 12 hour shifts (and then they try to make the crunch sound cute by saying married couples that worked there could have lunch and dinner together)

The final years of Irrational Games, according to those who were there: Article that mentions how belligerent Ken was in the work place, to the point 2K had to mandate sensitivity training, and that external firms were brought in to address the issue.

GDC '08: Ken Levine on BioShock's 'stupid story': article where Ken talks about BioShock's development and needing to cut down and rewrite the game's story a year out from launch, very much like how Infinite's development went.

Ken Levine: scripting Elizabeth "is the most complicated thing" in Bioshock Infinite: where they admit the e3 demo was mostly scripted and cutscenes and that there was a lot of ambitious stuff they wanted to do dynamically, but as we can see in the final product, got cut due to the reasons above

BioShock Infinite artist almost resigned over game's depiction of religion: an artist having to threaten to quit to get Ken to rewrite offensive parts of the game, along with the fact it doesn't sound like Ken knows how to write characters lol

Ken Levine and the Infinite Idaho: LONG article about a fanboy busting a nut over Ken, but if you scroll down to the section called "Breaking the arm off" or ctrl + F "Nate Wells" there's a section about how a lot of people quit during Infinite's development, including the Art Director for Infinite (and BioShock, along with being Jack's VA) Nate Wells, after Ken cut hundreds of hours of work on Shantytown because it was "ugly"

Ken Levine Defends BioShock Infinite’s Most Controversial Scene: (this website hates my VPN LOL) Interview where Ken defend's Daisy's death, by comparing her, the black slave, to Andrew Ryan, a white capitalist, while plugging his oppression creates oppressors and saying Elizabeth is the only character in the franchise to break the cycle of abuse

Faith In Rapture – Ken Levine Shares Thoughts On Creating Authentic Diversity: first half of an interview where Ken talks about Tenenbaum's autism saying "Because of her autism, it never cracked through" in regards to her empathy towards the little sisters

Conflict In Utopia - How Relationships Are At The Heart Of Ken Levine's New Game: second half of the interview, where he goes back to abuse is an inescapable cycle and that Elizabeth is the only one to over come the cycle of abuse--and she's the heart of the BioShock franchise which is 🤡💀🤡

We are Ken Levine (@iglevine) and Andres Gonzalez from Irrational Games. Ask Us Anything: AMA to promote BaS- I linked to the exact part where Ken tells people not to make Elizabeth porn because she's his daughter- despite the fact he's advertising a DLC where her boobs are even bigger and she moans over music.

TheBioshockHub Interviews Ken Levine! | Ken Talks Bioshock, His Inspirations & More (2020/2021): Interview with Ken where he say's he didn't know Ayn Rand was politically relevant and that he didn't read Atlas Shrugged until after BioShock was out, forgetting Daisy and her VA's name, and continues to reiterate how the BioShock franchise is supposed to be about how abuse is an inescapable cycle--unless you're his favorite character Elizabeth, and admitting he knew this would be his last part of the franchise and that he wanted to neatly tie the story up (🙄we know how neatly that went)

BioShock Remastered - Director's Commentary: another reference of Ken saying the BioShock franchise is Elizabeth's story, and BaS was about making her the heart of BioShock.

The Next Video Game From BioShock’s Creator Is in Development Hell: Talks about Ken's bad management as he sinks his new game exactly like how he did Infinite, but this time he pushed away everyone who kept that game afloat

Why everyone’s laughing at BioShock’s Ken Levine: Article where Ken said he figured out "how to write good characters" but it was just the basic way everyone writes characters.

Bioshock Infinite's Elizabeth shaped by Ken Levine's experiences: BONKERS article where Ken compares Elizabeth, a fictional character, to a REAL WOMAN he dated who was being abused and then said "but my OC is a better than her."

Thegamebriel Interviews Ken Levine the creator of bioshock: Interview with Ken where he notably compares BioShock 2 to someone "dating your ex girlfriend" and says he didn't want to play the game.

BioShock Infinite: 10 Years Later (ft. Ken Levine): An interview Ken did where he says he was "Upset" about BioShock 2 because he didn't see any games happening in the future of Rapture.

Ken Levine on BioShock: The Spoiler Interview: Interivew where Ken mentions a story idea where the main character was a cult deprogrammer, and talked about the kidnapping those guys would do; referencing "deprograming a lesbian" as an example of that work. He back tracks saying that was not something you would do in the game, but it makes my skin break into hives out that he mentioned it at all.

Looking Back On BioShock With Its Creator, Ken Levine: Another source of Ken only reading The Fountainhead and not Atlas Shrugged, and that he only discovered Rand's work mid development of BioShock. He also states that BioShock is not meant to be a criticism of Objectivism.

BioShock Creator Moved Away From the Franchise Because He Felt ‘Trapped’: Interview where Ken says it was his idea for BioShock to become a "Call of Duty blockbuster" and then immediately jumped ship on the franchise to make Judas. Which just looks like a bootleg BioShock game.

SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS:

Tweet where, when gay marriage was legalized in America, Ken said "but what about the Lutece twins?".

Ken retweeted an edit of Elizabeth holding a Ken body pillow.

Years later he retweeted edit of the same image but with Austin Wintory editing his face onto Elizabeth's.

Tweet were Ken defended transphobe and anti vaxxer Gina Carano when she got fired from the Mandalorian.

Tweet where Ken defended Elon Musk.

Tweet where Ken says BioShock: Rapture isn't canon because he hasn't read it.

Facebook post where Ken share a photo of a kid flipping him of so his friends would defend him.

Ken Seeing this Verge article that criticized Elizabeth saying:

and then saying on his facebook:

(which is. entirely missing the point. because he made elizabeth brutalized eye candy. her character is entirely defined by men.)

An old post, that I believe is from the scrubbed Irrational games forum (Furthest back I can trace it is to this post), where he explains Elizabeth's fragility and stealth gameplay was not stereotypical and sexist.

Photo of Ken from a print PC Gamer feature called "The New Game Gods" with a PRETTY questionable quote.

Youtube video of Ken and Troy Baker yelling at Courtnee Draper to get "authentic" acting. She's egging them on but it feels SUPER uncomfortable.

#ken levine #bioshock #bioshock 2 #bioshock infinite #bioshock infinite burial at sea #cardboard cutouts #this is mostly for me so i can access his quotes quickly. but if anyone else wants to read what he's said. #you can. it will hurt ur brain tho

[honnojis]

when characters are created, does the team usually have discarded designs or do y'all go for the first iteration :0?

Bit of a long story, but here we go!

So for a pretty big chunk of Rejuvenation's development, Jan was actually responsible for designing the characters. A lot of these still simply use a polished version of their first design, and of which the official art was based on the existing sprites so as to not drastically modify Jan's vision for them. A good chunk are simply designs that got polished over time, with Venam, Nim and Marianette being good examples of it.

However, due to the result of Jan's vision and skill changing over time, some designs would eventually become outdated and as a result there are some characters that have gotten redesigns since. Some are on their 2nd or 3rd design iterations right now, noteworthy examples being Ch1 and Terajuma Melia, Crawli and Emma (and arguably the most drastic change in terms of design quality being GDC Adam LOL).

There's a notable shift in quality that happened right around V13's release however, which is when the art team got more free reign and started helping out more with (re)designing characters, using references, as well as doing actual concept art of outfits and designs and bouncing feedback off of each other prior to solidifying it into a final design that ends up being used in the game. Good examples of this are the secondary protagonist outfits, as well as Spacea and Tiempa, who had concept sketches done before they got their final designs for the reworks. It's true that some designs just end up not getting used after all—there were a decent number of sketches for the protagonist outfits that got discarded as they didn't quite work out that well.

There's also just... the whole "really putting more thought into a design and its details" thing that I've learned to do over the past couple of years instead of haphazardly cramming out character artwork as fast as possible HAHA.... It's why there's a lot more detail in design for characters like Mr Luck and Eizen compared to i.e. Reina or Florin. Eventually I hope to bring all the characters on the same level of detail and design polish, but fuck if I know when that'll happen 💀 maybe when i decide to get a bit silly someday.......

#zumi answers #Anonymous #pokemon rejuvenation

[wolfnanaki]

Goodbye Volcano High by KO_OP was recently demoed at GDC and PAX East. I've been busy compiling a bunch of the first impressions together. Also, in two weeks, the demo will be available to download on Steam (May 4th - 8th), so be sure to check it out when it drops! In the meantime, here are the things being said about it by the people who have played it:

Boston Bastard Brigade: "This feels like a proper step in the right direction towards a truly hands-on animated series."

TheGamer.com: "Goodbye Volcano High demonstrates a level of honesty and sincerity that's rare in game writing, and I'm pleasantly surprised about the impact it's already made on me."

Six One Indiecast (coverage starts at 24:00): "I'm really impressed with Goodbye Volcano High. […] The thing that I love about it the most, other than the amazing visuals and the rhythm minigame of it all, the 'narrative game' where you have to make choices, I've never seen this approach before."

Hardcore Gamer: "We have what could stand a chance at being of of this year’s best tales."

Canadian Game Devs (coverage starts at 44:00): "The UI was really cool, the sound design sounded great, the voice acting's good, the art style is so crisp-looking, […] I really like the kinda thematic thing they're going for."

EIP Gaming: "Visual novels, seemingly, needed a pioneer, and Goodbye Volcano High looks to be it."

Press Space To Jump: "Out of all the games on the show floor at PAX East 2023, Goodbye Volcano High was the game that took me somewhere else. I wondered if it would live up to the high expectations I had for the game, and it did. It truly felt like I was watching an animated show, but getting a say in what was happening."

All I could find so far, but in an era where LGBT+ media is being shouted down, banned, or dismissed, it's nice to find and celebrate victories like this. This is especially true for this game, if you've seen my previous post regarding its development history and the LGBT-phobic backlash to it.

Also, be sure to wishlist Goodbye Volcano High on the PSN Store and Steam! Wishlisting helps game devs a whole lot!

#Goodbye Volcano High #KO_OP #video games #indie games #narrative games #visual novel #LGBT+

[ooc-miqojak]

The State of AAA Games in the Modern Era

"Before the internet became a core facet of gaming, if a studio dropped an unfinished game, that game stayed unfinished." "If a game launched in a poor state, that became the game's legacy."

And a quote from the video linked in #2 in my sources below: "This corporate mindset has encouraged studios to ship now, fix later, and exploit the wallets of players for years down the road. And oftentimes we do see some of the lead developers from these studios even brag about how to pull off this scheme at GDC conferences: [Quote from developer] 'Overdelivery is actually dangerous. With every release that you put out there, you're setting a pattern for your community and for your players. Because it's hard to tell a team, a team that has extra cycles and they have energy and they wanna do something amazing and know how to do it and it totally would be amazing and awesome for the game! Sometimes we have to tell them, like, we shouldn't ship this because it's an overdelivery. Beware of overdelivery, overdelivery is actually dangerous.' "

These are objective facts that people were ready to tear my throat out about during what I thought was a fact-based, adult debate earlier today. Instead, I just had people repeatedly say the same thing to me over and over: "But games still had bugs on console!" Which was something I never countered. I even agreed! My point, however, was that bugs in games were much rarer, and far less impactful to the overall experience of the game - and modern games are often released in a half-finished state, with bugs that massively impact gameplay - just look at Cyberpunk 2077. It's notorious for that very thing! And yet, more than one person was willing to twist my words, and take things out of context (repeatedly trying to nitpick things like Pokemon Gen 1 bugs - things that were not relevant to the discussion, as they were not bugs even remotely comparable to those in modern AAA games upon release) to desperately cling to some idea that console games were released in as bad of a state as modern games are? I don't know why, when console games would have literally killed consoles and gaming as a hobby, if they had been regularly released in as bad of a state as current digital/online only games currently are. It's a fact, and not an opinion that more games in the modern era release in a half-finished, buggy state that makes games unplayable upon release. That is not an opinion. Here's another article about it! (There's lots of videos/articles about this very thing, with just a cursory Google search.)

Yes, console games had bugs - and the ones notorious for those bugs that made story or gameplay basically impossible... bombed! A modern game, like Cyberpunk, that releases with massive bugs? Simply promises to keep patching the unfinished product, which you could not do on a physical product. This is a fact, and not an opinion. Someone claimed that console games would just make a better version, and re-release the game... which doesn't amount to much, because the game already has a bad rep, and no one will pay twice for the same thing (were your parents going to buy you the same $40-60 game a second time back then? Doubtful. No one in their right mind would.), nor would you trust that publisher a second time. That's not the same thing as releasing Cyberpunk in a half-made state, unplayable and bug-ridden and missing core/promised features, and just... finishing it over the next couple years after taking people's money for the half-baked product that wasn't what you promised. They're not asking you to pay for the game twice, they're just making you buy an unfinished product that won't be complete for another year or so (if it ever is). As the video states, there were two years of class action lawsuits - which I don't recall hearing about with console games, because you simply couldn't release only a partial part of a game you claimed was complete, and hope people stuck around for patches, because you couldn't just try and clean up your mess once a disc or cartridge was purchased. If there were incomplete textures, and you couldn't progress the story/engage in gameplay due to game-breaking bugs, that was it. You were screwed.

The modern era and advent of online-only products has led to AAA publishers releasing more and more unfinished products with game-breaking bugs because "we can fix it later"/it's cheaper to fix after launch/because executives simply don't care how it impacts the players, because they have pre-order money in their pockets already/they continue to mistreat the devs of the games, and force them to release unfinished products, and move on to the next cash-grab. These are facts. Not opinions.

Anyways, here's more fact-based sources. One

Two

Three...this video is even from five years ago! (And quotes someone from 8 years prior to that stating that: "The answer for us as publishers is to actually sell unfinished games..."

Four

Five

Next time you find yourself heated by facts that aren't opinions, don't attack the person dealing out the facts, and claim they said something they didn't say - especially if it's the exact opposite of something they said multiple times. Once you start taunting and being childish in a debate, it becomes clear you're not an adult, and shouldn't be partaking in serious, adult conversations - no matter the topic. Objective facts may make you mad, but hey - I'm mad that modern games release in a shitty state thanks to being fully online these days, and not releasing in a physical state that encourages Publishers to release a full, and mostly bug-free game (free of bugs that impact gameplay or story in a serious way, at least. The occasional NPC glitched into a wall or the sky isn't a huge deal, and a wacky texture here and there is mostly hilarious.) Anyways, Donald Trump simply attacks people who use facts in a debate! Don't be like Donald Trump. Don't choose to attack the other person, instead of using objective-based-facts to debate/discuss things. Debates shouldn't make you mad - they should be interesting, and enlightening, and you (or the other person, or all parties) should learn from them. And inevitably, in fact based discussions...someone is wrong! I'm often wrong. I like learning new things. But letting your emotions guide you in a fact based discussion that is very literal and not rooted in emotional appeals... just makes a mess.

#AAA games #game development #anyways I remain baffled that people were willing to die on this hill and try to say I was wrong about objective facts #And then after being lied about and gaslit I was told *I* behaved childishly lmao! #and was given 0 reasons why #so basically 'I find your ADHD frustrating and can't give you a good reason' and 'toxic positivity is the expectation in XIV communities' #being bullied out of FFXIV spaces by toxic positivity has me sick and tired of trying to be active in XIV spaces and meet people #you can be the one being attacked and they'll still tell you that it's your fault and everyone was bad #I even defended the apparent 'four' other people they said were 'bad' - no one was wrong in that situation - #except the one person who made a shitty remark and taunted me... then gaslit me publicly #oh well I'm not afraid of defending myself - I'm a grown ass woman

[prototypelq]

Gaming awards are weird this year. We have TGA, which has never made sensible nominations, and has publicly offended both the game developers, and the audience, by cutting the award winner speeches early and exists only for the hype and ads money, and to contrast we have GDC, which, well, Games Developer Conference, that consists of developers, is supposed to have critical merit behind it.

Yet, TGA gives Alan Wake 2 the Best Direction, Best Story and Best Visuals, while GDC gives AW2 Best Visuals only, while best Narrative goes to BG3. Also Tears of the Kingdom somehow got best technology???

Obv, I am a biased AW2 fan, and awards are generally meaningless, the normal disclaimer when discussing these things, y'know. Still, to me this is like an inverse of what should have happened, cause it's weird for TGA to NOT go for the obvious trendy game BG3, and for the GDC to follow said popular trend.

I don't doubt BG3 is good, not at all. I just doubt a 100+++ hour game can tell the story with the same impact that the 20-30 smth hour one can. Also, the hundred-hours game is rpg, so you have multiple choices, which normally leads to content cuts of the consequences of said choices, cause they are just not viable, for developers OR for players. And again, AW2 is a linear story with fixed characters, plus they make heavy use of the extended lore of the remedyverse. And it's a story about stories inside a story. Written by a writer, about a writer and for writers. Again, I don't mean to down BG3 and Larian - they are a great studio, a dying breed these days in the industry, I just don't think you can meaningfully tell a story over such a long period of time, pacing exists the chat in these cases.

Also, I am just. What Technology is GDC referring to when they award Tears of the Kingdom??? Specifically technology, not design, design went to BG3 there is no question about that. Like??? Switch is a not a new platform, the hardware has been the same for...more than 7 years I think, at this point? What kind of technology are they talking about here?

update: looked it up and apparently the tech award goes to TOK for the multi-leveled seamless open world and physics engine, again, on a Switch hardware. Yeah, I get behind this choice now.

I am a bit mad now that the GDC Innovation award didn't go to Viewfinder. Like, that game is LITERAL innovation, no other game did something like Viewfinder before...

Another great reminder that everything is subjective, and awards especially.

#okay okay i can get the bg3 vs aw2 story award debate that one is honestly hard to answer #but INNOVATION award didn't go to viewfinder? COME ON #that is just offensive in my opinion #i am a remedy fanboy sorry not sorry #aw 2 is a tech award nominee so there's some justice still #aw2 is literally one of the only games that can give you a feeling of new highend tech #which ill probably never experience but im okay with that i am not a graphics obsessed maniac #can't deny that no game looks like aw2 though and it also HAD to work to make those transitions between gameplay and cutscenes work #gdc #games developers choice awards #aw2 #alan wake 2 #bg3 #tga #the game awards 2023 #zelda totk #viewfinder